1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking structure for a protector and a wire harness, and more particularly, to the locking structure for the protector for protecting the wire harness which is arranged, for example, in an automobile, and the wire harness itself.
2. Related Art
As a conventional locking structure for a protector and a wire harness, such a structure as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has been known. As shown in FIG. 6, a protector 100 in a form of a tubular body includes a main body 101 and a cover 102 which can be assembled together so as to contain a bundle 103 of electric wires. A plurality of locking parts 110 for enabling the main body 101 and the cover 102 to be engaged with each other are provided between this main body 101 and the cover 102.
As shown in FIG. 7, each of the locking parts 110 includes a latched part 111 in a gate-like shape having a space 111a inside, which is provided in either one of the main body 101 and the cover 102 (for example, in the main body 101), and a latching piece 112 in a tongue-like shape having a pawl 112a at its distal end, which is provided on the other of the main body 101 and the cover 102.
Accordingly, locking operation of the cover 102 to the main body 101 will be conducted, as shown in FIG. 7, by inserting the latching piece 112 into the space 111a in the latched part 111, and then, by engaging the pawl 112a at the distal end of the latching piece 112 with the latched part 111.
However, as shown in FIG. 8, a width of the latching piece 112 has been generally smaller than a width of the space 111a in the latched part 111, and gaps 113 have been formed between the latched part 111 and the latching piece 112. Therefore, there has been a problem that a backlash may occur, and the protector 100 may be twisted.
Under the circumstances, such a countermeasure as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been taken in the conventional art as shown in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2002-253533. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the latched part 111 is provided with latching projections 114 having pointed ends and projecting inwardly. When the latching piece 112 is inserted into the space in the latched part 111, the pointed ends of the latching projections 114 will be collapsed so as to press the latching piece 12, thereby preventing the backlash.
By the way, the backlash between the latched part 111 and the latching piece 112 can be prevented, by employing the locking structure as shown in Patent Document 1. However, in order to provide the latching projections 114 on the inner faces of the latched part 111, a complicated mold has been required, which has led to such an inconvenience that a rise of the production cost has been inevitable.